What must this be doing to Constance? I can't even imagine, even though I can actually relate somewhat, because I went through a lot of bullying when I was a teeny, skinny, shy teen. But she seems to be one strong kid, stronger than most:

McMillen tells The Advocate that a parent-organized prom happened behind her back — she and her date were sent to a Friday night event at a country club in Fulton, Miss., that attracted only five other students. Her school principal and teachers served as chaperones, but clearly there wasn't much to keep an eye on.

This next part will add to your current nausea:

Two students with learning difficulties were among the seven people at the country club event, McMillen recalls.

I work with special ed kids all the time. They are wonderful, sweet, and do nobody any harm. These are people, with feelings, who are being treated as if they have none, who are being looked on as less important, as something so offensive, so contemptible, that they have to be hidden away.

I can't imagine how "branded" these seven students must feel, and what an indelible imprint this has made, regardless of how courageous they may seem to us, or how big her smile is in that photo (go read the whole piece; Constance is an amazing, positive teen).

wow...I mean...this is something that you would only think, happens in some twisted movie.

But no...the kids...AND the PARENTS (makes me sick!!!) planned out this little scheme, just to keep the lesbian away.

...sick.

But this is exactly why, if I never travel to such places again (I traveled for 20 years) it will be too soon.

Walt

As change does happen some things never change. Ignorance and cruelty is always among us. Paraphrasing a quote chiseled on the walls of Thomas Jefferson's Memorial. To advance and remain civil as a society we must be willing to change our bigoted views as "we become more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered... or forever remain ever under the regimen of our barbarous ancestors.

And yet, in this age of modernity, we have seen a barbarous rise of utter ignorance become mainstream in the the conservative movement through the powerful medium of television and radio through the voices of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Palin, Savage, Levins, FOX News, etc. Our democratically elected President is called everything he is not. Thomas Jefferson, himself is regulated to be a mention in our history by a group of people on the Texas Board of Education because they deem him as too liberal. Eisenhower couldn't run as a Republican today. Even Lincoln couldn't run as a Republican today. And the pragmatism of Reagan would be shunned in today's Republican Party. Today's conservative movement is run by a bunch of cowards. Shame on my friends and family who proudly call themselves Republicans to have let this happen to their party.

This cruelty that was sentenced to these children because they were "different" for which they had no control over is the result of inexcusable ignorance by adults who still remain as barbaric as their ancestors.

Luci

Well, when folks are prejudiced, they do things like this. When I was a junior and senior in high school it was at the height of busing and racial integration of the schools. My school did not have a prom for either year. Then, it was a white prom and a black prom. It took some time to get to one prom. I had been gone for a while before they finally joined the proms.By the time my daughter graduated though, there was only one prom. I have never had a prom.

GottaLaff

I love that comment, Kimbutgar, thank you.

kimbutgar

Gotta Laff, like you I was a skinny geeky girl in HS. I went recently to to a meeting of my elementary school classmates and let's just say I aged well. This will only make Ms. Constance a stronger person who will have a chance to get the hell out of Mississippi. Years later Ms. Constance will be accomplished while her mean classmates will be backward ignorant and dumb. We have not heard the last of Ms. Constance and I hope her classmates eat crow.

Leslie

This sucks! So sad that people are so low and hurtful. It's one thing to be an immature teen; another to be an immature adult supporting this!

Andy Marquis

That's just wrong.

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